The 14th International Junior Science Olympiad takes place in the Netherlands from the 3rd to the 12th of December and is organised by the IJSO 2017 Foundation. More than 300 bright students aged 15 years and younger, from 50 countries around the world, meet in The Netherlands. During the Science Olympiad they test their knowledge and skills in physics, biology and chemistry.

This year’s theme is ‘water and sustainability’. A fitting theme for the Netherlands, where good water management has been necessary from the earliest times to keep the country dry. However, ‘water’ has become an important issue worldwide. Access to good, clean drinking water is an increasing problem in some countries, while the low lying countries run an increased risk of catastrophic floods because of climate change.

Two individual theoretical tests are followed by a practicum, which is a team effort for the students. The programme around the tests gives the students the opportunity to take a look behind the scenes at Dutch, internationally oriented companies, work on real world challenges related to the theme and of course visit touristic highlights. The goal of this science competition is to introduce the students at a young age to an international network of beta enthusiasts. At the same time the IJSO 2017 Foundation aims to increase the interest in exact sciences among secondary education students.